Who owns Burj Khalifa?
Updated October 27, 2026
Quick answer
Burj Khalifa is owned by its developer, Emaar Properties, a Dubai company listed on the Dubai Financial Market. Many of its apartments belong to private buyers, and the observation decks are run by Emaar's attractions arm, Emaar Entertainment.
The tower is not owned by the government of Dubai or by the man it is named after. Wikipedia lists Emaar Properties as both owner and developer. Emaar was founded in 1997 by Mohamed Alabbar, and its main shareholders include Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and the Investment Corporation of Dubai, the emirate's investment fund. Emaar also built the district around the tower, Downtown Dubai, with The Dubai Mall and the Dubai Fountain. Ownership inside the building is split. Apartments were sold to individual buyers, and Emaar's businesses run the hotel and the attractions. The decks you visit on the Levels 124 & 125 ticket, from $51 (AED 189, at 1 USD = 3.6725 AED), are an Emaar attraction.
Emaar Properties as developer and owner
Emaar Properties developed the Burj Khalifa and owns it, according to Wikipedia. The company was incorporated in 1997 by Mohamed Alabbar, who later stepped down as chairman in December 2020 while staying on as managing director. It has been listed on the Dubai Financial Market since 2000. Emaar's best-known projects are all around the tower: Downtown Dubai, The Dubai Mall and the Dubai Fountain, as well as Dubai Marina further down the coast. The tower cost about US$1.5 billion to build; read how much it cost for how it was financed through the 2008 crash.
Who owns the apartments and floors
The residential floors are owned unit by unit. Wikipedia counts about 900 apartments on floors 19 to 108, and Armani Residences on floors 9 to 16. Emaar sold them to private buyers. Wikipedia records that 825 of 900 apartments stood empty ten months after the opening, and that by October 2012, after overseas investors bought in, about 80% were occupied. The Armani Hotel Dubai, with 304 rooms, uses the ground level, floors 1 to 8 and floors 38 and 39. Corporate suites fill floors 112 to 151 in four blocks. Visitors can see none of these floors; only the restaurant on 122 and the decks are open.
Who runs At the Top
The observation decks are run by Emaar Entertainment, the group's leisure arm. Emaar's own website lists At the Top, Burj Khalifa among the ten attractions Emaar Entertainment operates, next to Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, Dubai Opera, Reel Cinemas and the Sky Views Observatory. That is why combo tickets often pair the tower with those places: the aquarium combo from $87 (AED 319) and the Sky Views combo from $76 (AED 278). This site is independent: we are not Emaar, and the official ticket office is At the Top on burjkhalifa.ae. We earn a commission when you book through our partner.
- Building owner and developer — Emaar Properties
- Observation decks — Emaar Entertainment
- Apartments — Individual private owners
Who owns Emaar
Emaar Properties is a public company. Its shares have traded on the Dubai Financial Market under the ticker EMAAR since 2000. Wikipedia names two major shareholders: Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and the Investment Corporation of Dubai. The group runs several businesses besides property development, including Emaar Malls, Emaar Hospitality Group and Emaar Hotels & Resorts, along with Emaar Entertainment. So while no single person owns the Burj Khalifa, the company that does is closely tied to the Dubai government through its shareholders. The tower's name honours a different ruler, Sheikh Khalifa of Abu Dhabi; read what the name means for why.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the owner of Burj Khalifa?
Emaar Properties, the Dubai developer that built it. Individual buyers own many of the apartments inside.
Does Sheikh Khalifa own the Burj Khalifa?
No. It is named after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the late UAE president, but Emaar Properties owns it.
Who owns Emaar Properties?
It is a listed company on the Dubai Financial Market. Wikipedia names Dubai's ruler and the Investment Corporation of Dubai among its major shareholders.
Who founded Emaar?
Mohamed Alabbar, who incorporated the company in 1997.
Can you buy an apartment in Burj Khalifa?
Apartments are owned by private buyers; Wikipedia records that overseas investors bought in after the 2010 opening. This site does not list property.
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